21 Jul 2017 21:27:29
It's good to see fans of other clubs on the page having sensible debate. Far better than the normal (poor) banter we get from some rival fans.
So Jackson I would like to hear your opinion on the whole Lukaku/ Morata debate.
Personally I feel Morata is the better footballer, far more cultured, better movement and understanding of the game. Where as Lukaku is more of a blunt instrument pace and power with the ability to finish.
I actually feel both clubs actually got the player who suits them better.
Last season our problem was a lack of pace and poor finishing especially against the so called lesser lights of the EPL. Lukaku is proven at getting goals and adds more pace to our forward line while also replacing some of that power we have lost with Zlatan leaving.
Morata is a great player but he works best with quick clever players around him, people to play off. At Chelsea with Hazard, Pedro and Willian he will have that and I think he suits Chelsea far better than Lukaku would.
So all in all I think it probably worked out best for both clubs with the way it did. Although I think Conte saying Chelsea were never in for Lukaku isn't the best rebuttal. Chelsea clearly were in for him and the moment he goes elsewhere they jump in and sign Morata. If Morata was always the target why not chase him all summer like we did. I think for once Mourinho's words of "we have Lukaku and we are happy with that, end of" was a more classy way of answering those pointed questions from the press.
21 Jul 2017 23:43:35
Cheers, Shappy, happy to help. I don't think Chelsea were fully in for Lukaku. Ed002 mentioned we hadn't put in any bid when reports surfaced of United getting a bid in, which is odd since it was already July. I mean, if Chelsea were convinced on Lukaku and Lukaku wanted Chelsea, why wait to put a bid in? Obviously he was an option for us, but I also believe he wasn't the preferred option, certainly not Conte's preferred option. Conte exaggerated by saying they weren't in for Lukaku at all, but I think that's because he doesn't like talking about players that aren't Chelsea.
Lukaku vs Morata: I echo your thoughts. I've got a post on the Banter 2 page on here currently already addressing this. I'll repost the part specifically about this.
Morata vs Lukaku will be a fun one in years to come :-P I must admit I wanted Lukaku. He's a proven goalscorer, a physical specimen and he's a fellow Belgian (yup, I'm from Belgium) . I really like him, and I know how much it would've meant to him to make it big at Chelsea. I wanted him to succeed at the club he really wanted (no offense, but I'm pretty sure he really wanted to move back to Chelsea, the BS about it being his dream move or that he's been planning a move to United for 18 months or whatever is just that, BS) . So my preference was Lukaku. I'm pretty sure he'll be the PL top scorer next season and he's bound to succeed.
Morata will be a bit of a question mark in the PL. He's got everything to become one of the top strikers in the world. His technique is exquisite for a striker, his passing is very good, he's really intelligent in his runs, he's good at headers (which will be a welcome sight as Costa is rubbish at meeting crosses for headers), he works hard for the team and his hold up play is good as well. So basically he seems like a top striker. His finishing seems to be pretty damn good as well. Another top thing is that he's used to high pressure games and moments. Morata has played in 3 CL finals and he's only 24. That's just plain impressive. There's just one question mark. Can he lead the line over a full season? We'll find out soon. He's got it all in his locker, it's just a matter of showing it consistently.
The question with Lukaku is whether he can do it for a top club that faces deep defenses week in week out (spoiler: I'm pretty sure he can) . We'll soon find out whether he can.
All in all I think Lukaku is the sure thing of the two. He'll give you goals and is a very good fit for your team. Lukaku will score more than Morata. Morata on the other hand is a higher risk, but I do think the reward with him can be higher if he pans out. Morata may score less, but I think he can elevate the rest of the team in a way Lukaku can't really. Conte also loves Morata and has done so for a while, so I'm ecstatic to see them together finally.
22 Jul 2017 07:50:53
Great posts boys. The key for me will be that Lukaku will need to replace Ibra's goals which I think he will, Morata will need to replace Costa's goals, which I'm not convinced he will. However, Morata does look like he might bring more out of those around him.